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Seventh Doctor

The Seventh Doctor

SEVENTH DOCTOR (played by Sylvester McCoy)

1987-89 (Seasons 24-6)

Originally a man with the demeanour of an eccentric, light-hearted buffoon, the Seventh Doctor darkened into a mysterious, cunning manipulator to combat Fenric’s return.

Though he delighted in humorous reverie, it was only the surface layer of his true nature. Beneath, he was a Machiavellian and somber genius of frightful calibre who could tactfully use his mind to manipulate almost any situation into reaching his favoured outcome. Despite this, every action he did “for the greater good”, as this incarnation actively sought out evil to vanquish. He could also show profound warmth and affection to his companions, and built a strong bond with many of them.

Initially, the Seventh Doctor travelled with his predecessor‘s final companion, Melanie Bush. After several adventures with the new Doctor, she left to travel with Sabalom Glitz, prompting him to begin travelling with Ace, a troubled teenager from Earth in the 1980s. Treating her both as a protégé and initially as a pawn in Fenric’s game, he did his best to help heal Ace’s psychological wounds by helping her come to terms with her past misdeeds and fears, aiding her in maturing and supporting her in moments of difficulty. Although he initially planned to take Ace home, they ultimately travelled together for several years, only for their strong bond to grow increasingly strained as secrets and death tore them apart.

Following Ace’s initial departure from the TARDIS, he became “champion” to the Eternal known as Time. Although he did many good deeds while under the title of Time’s Champion, his manipulative ways and amoral decisions cost him dearly, leaving him questioning his actions and himself. The aftermath left him tired and saddened, and after reuniting with many old friends he eventually began a lonely retirement from plotting. Though wearisome, he decided he would return to Gallifrey when the Time Lords needed his assistance, but having grown complacent in his retirement, he let his guard down at the wrong time and paid for it with his life.

After many years of schemes and manipulation, the Doctor regenerated into his next incarnation in San Francisco on December 13, 1999, following Dr Grace Holloway‘s exploratory surgery on his gunshot wounds accidentally clogging a vein.